6.2
It’s okay… maybe it didn’t quite land for me? Some funny moments, but overall not one of the more memorable indies this year. It never got traction in my mind. It hits predictable notes and led to a “meh” overall impression for me.
Author: Brett_G
7.4
It’s an “Aliens” movie. If you watched “Twisters” and were wishing it was a xenomorph picking off unexpecting morons instead of mother nature teaching lessons in humility, then this is the blockbuster for you!
What this one lacks in originality and overall storytelling it more than makes up for in cinematography and ambiance. Holy shit is it beautiful. There’s not a single frame of this one that’s not a veritable work of art. It’s what keeps you invested even as the narrative wanders down the familiar old path of “oh no… they did the thing and are going to die now…”
7.4
I didn’t expect the symbolism to be so on the nose here. To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what I was in for other than “weird” with this one. Thankfully, it delivers on weird, and so much more by the time the credits roll. I’m not really sure what the lesson was, other than to trust your gut and to refrain from wearing headphones while biking at night, but damn… it was a hellacious ride.
With the ambiance of “The Human Centipede” and “Shutter Island,” you spend the entire runtime on edge and guessing what’s going to unravel next. Hunter Schafer is the glue that really holds this one together and makes things work. Without her, there’s no way this one makes it to the end. If you don’t mind weird, this was a nice veer off the beaten path into the weeds of lesser known films at the multi-plex.
7.8
Just a good old fashioned raunchy high school coming of age comedy. Chef’s kiss. No more, no less. I was pleasantly surprise by how well this one nailed the ambiance of the genre and played it’s part perfectly. It didn’t take itself too seriously and didn’t overthink things.
Appropriate? Not in the slightest.
Hilarious? You bet your ass.
7.9
Unlike “It Ends With Us,” this one warns the audience that shit’s going to get dark.
… And holy crap does it ever get dark. I figured things would get weird, but not quite this deep into the worst of humanity. I can honestly say that I was caught as off guard as I’ve been in a long time by this one. But I can also say that not since “Promising Young Woman” and “Ready or Not” (or “Kill Bill) have I seen such an empowering tale of revenge on the silver screen.
I feel like he gets a lot of shit for “Magic Mike,” but Channing Tatum is one hell of an actor. He plays the villain perfectly in this one. Naomi Ackie on the screen and Zoe Kravitz behind the camera make for a hellacious one-two punch that really makes the film. I can’t imagine this coming together and being as balanced and impactful without their immense talents at play. Get ready to be befuddled for 2/3 of the runtime and sick to your stomach for the final act until the resolution right before the credits roll makes you want to laugh and cheer. It’s a WILD ride!
